Casting means for line-casting machines



Aug. 29, 1939. H. R FREUND 2,171,500

CASTING MEANS FOR LINE-CASTING MACHINES Filed Dec. 24, 1935 L-- I I l 15 #11 6 ATTORNEY5 Patented Aug. 29, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CASTING MEANS FOR LINE-CASTING MACHINES poration of New York Application December 24, 1935, Serial No. 56,115

20 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in typographical machines, and more particularly line casting machines of the general class disclosed in U. S. Letters Patent No. 436,532 granted September 16, 1890, for producing type bars or slugs from character bearing matrices, wherein matrices each having a character in an edge thereof are assembled into lines which are clamped endwise between vise jaws and presented to a mold which is moved against the matrix line so that the character bearing portions of the matrices close the casting cavity along the front thereof, molten metal being injected into the mold from the rear to cast the type bars or slugs against the matrices and thus for printing characters on the front edges of the slugs.

More particularly, the invention relates to improvements in the cooperative relationship between the matrix line clamping jaws and molds of machines of this class whereby remaining portions of the printing edges of slugs beyond the type characters thereon will always be cast automatically at a predetermined height less than the full height of the casting cavity in the mold, thus producing beyond the type characters what is commonly known as low-quad surfaces, such surfaces being advantageous for the reason that printing plates containing cuts or the like may be mounted directly thereon and thus avoid the necessity and expense of sawing off the blank portions of the cast slugs to enable inserting and fitting into the printing forms the usual separate plate mounting blocks, and such surfaces being desirable even though not used for the mount ing of plates since the low-quad height stands sufficiently below the height of the printing face of the type characters that it will be out of the range of the ink rollers when printing and therefore avoid smudges on the printed matter.

Improvements in the line clamping vise jaws and molds to enable the automatic casting of low-quad surfaces on slugs beyond the type characters thereon, at one end or at both ends of the slugs beyond the type characters, are described in my prior copending application, Serial No. 13,137, filed March 26, 1935, wherein the vise jaws are movably arranged in order to close against the ends of different length matrix lines, and each jaw is provided with a continuous longitudinal rib which projects from the usual casting face thereof toward the mold at the level of the casting cavity therein, the ribs presenting surfaces at the front of the cavity parallel to the front of the mold and being adapted to enter a recess extending across the entire front of the mold but somewhat wider than the ribs to permit them to enter it freely, the cooperative arrangement between the ribs and the recess being such as to close the casting cavity at a height below that of the usual front or matrix engaging face of the mold and thus permit the desired low-quad surfaces to be cast on slugs beyond the end or ends of a matrix line held between the jaws at any point along the casting cavity.

The improvements according to the present invention are similar, in some respects, to those disclosed in my pending application referred to above but differ therefrom in the manner of cooperation of the ribs on the vise jaws with the mold, the present invention aiming to avoid the escape of type' metal at the points along the mold cavity immediately adjacent to the end matrices in the line clamped between the jaws (wherever such matrices may happen to be located along the front of the mold cavity) and further, to enable the ribs on the jaws to be self-aligning with the recess across the front of the mold and at the same time enter the recess freely. To these ends the present invention, as in my pending application referred to above, provides longitudinal ribs on the jaws which are oppositely beveled or tapered, preferably symmetrically along their top and bottom edges, and present surfaces projecting from the jaws toward the mold and parallel to the front face thereof, and also provides an opening or recess across the entire front face of the mold at the level of the casting cavity the top and bottom edges of which recess are oppositely beveled to correspond with the beveled edges of the ribs on the jaws.

The present invention however contemplates forming a metal tight seal of the mold cavity along the top and bottom thereof beyond a matrix line by cooperative engagement of the beveled edges of the ribs on the vise jaws with the correspondingly beveled edges of the recess across the front of the mold and beyond the ends of the casting cavity by engagement of the projected front surfaces of the ribs with the mold at a height below the front or matrix engaging face thereof.

According to the present invention, therefore, the projected front surfaces of the ribs between the beveled edges thereof is formed to the same height as the vertical distance between the longitudinally extending parallel walls of the upper and lower mold sections which define the casting cavity, and the recess across the front of the mold is formed by oppositely beveled or tapered surfaces along the front of the mold sections over the entire extent thereof which surfaces intersect the adjacent upper and lower walls of the casting cavity formed by these sections and have the same slope as the correspondingly beveled edges of the ribs on the jaws. Since the beveled top and bottom edges of the recess provide an opening at the level of the front face of the mold which is wider than the vertical height of the projected front surface of theribs. the latter can freely enter the recess to the point where the beveled edges thereof intersect the upper and lower walls of the casting cavity in the mold, this point corresponding to the depth to which it is desired to produce the low-quad surfaces on the cast slugs. By this arrangement of the parts, the opposed beveled surfaces on the ribs and on the mold cooperatively engage across the entire front of the mold and form a metal tight seal of the mold cavity along the top and bottom thereof beyond the matrix line, and the projectedsurfaces of the ribs on the respective jaws cooperatively engage with the mold beyond the ends of the casting cavity but at a height below the usual front or matrix engaging face of the mold to form a metal tight closure beyond the ends of thecasting cavity and to provide low-quad casting surfaces within the casting cavity beyond the matrix line.

To these and other ends the invention'consists in certain improvements and combinations and arrangements of parts all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the features of novelty being pointed out more particularly in the claims at the end of this specification.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure l is an elevation of a portion of a slug casting machine equipped with automatic movable vise jaws as viewed from the rear, the vise jaws being provided with the low-quad ribs according to the present invention;

' Figure 2 is a vertical section on an enlarged scale taken on the line 2-2 in Fig. 1, and showing the mold in its normal retracted relation with one of the vise jaws;

Figure 3 is a vertical section on anenlarged scale similar to Fig. 2, showing one of the vise jaws and the mouth of the casting pot in cooperative relation with the mold while casting;

Figure 4 is a vertical section on an enlarged scale taken on the line 4-4 in Fig. 1, showing the mold in cooperative relation with a matrix line;

Figure 5 is an enlarged detailed view of a portion of the parts shown in Fig. 4; and

Figure 6 is a plan View in section taken on the line 5-6 in Fig. 4.

Similar parts are-designated by the same reference characters in the several figures.

The present invention is applicable generally to line casting machines of the general class hereinbefore referred to, and the preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing and will be hereinafter described in detail. It is to be understood however that the invention is not restricted to the precise construction shown since equivalent constructions are contemplated and such will be included within the scope of the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, l represents a portion of the vise frame, 2 designates the mold disk and 3 and 4 designate the cap and body respectively of a slug casting mold mounted on the mold disk, as in a manner usual in machines of this class, the mold having a slot or casting cavity 5 in which the type'bar or slug is to be cast. The mold disk may carry a plurality of molds as usual in machines of this class, each mold being for example of a different size to produce slugs of different sizes, and the mold disk is rotatable as usual to bring a selected mold thereon into position for casting.

(5 and l designate respectively the right hand and left hand vise jaws which serve to clamp a line of matrices M and spacebanols S endwise in 'front of the mold. These vise jaws are mounted in the vise frame so that either one or both of them may move longitudinally of a mold occupying casting position, the vise jaws being preferably provided with means for automatically quadding or centering lines on slugs by moving either jaw alone or both jaws simultaneously in,- wardly against the matrix line, the means shown in the present instance for controlling the quadding and centering movements of the right-hand and left-hand vise jaws corresponding with that disclosed in U. S. Letters Patents Nos. 1,964,695 granted June 26, 1934 and 1,970,527 granted August 14, 1934, to which reference is made for a detailed disclosure of such quadding and centering means, it being deemed sufficient for the purposes of the present invention to explain that the right-hand and left-hand jaws are provided with a jaw closing lever 3 which is actuated at appropriate times from'a cam or other suitable part in the machine and which, through a r'eciprocating rack bar 9 and a coupling device Ill and other devices as disclosed in said patents, will cause either or both of the vise jaws to move horizontally toward and from one another to center or to quad the line at either end and clamp it endwise prior to the casting operation, and to retract to permit removal of the matrix line from casting position after the cast has been made.

After an assembled line of matrices has been introduced between the vise jaws and while the line is held between the vise jaws in front of the mold so that the characters on the matrices are opposite to the casting slot, the mold is advanced, as usual in machines of this class, to bring its front face into contact with the casting edges of the matrices, and the mouthpiece ll of a metal pot of well-known construction is then advanced against the rear face of the mold in the usual manner to close the back of the mold and to force molten metal into the mold slot to cast the type bar or slug therein.

According to the present invention, the vise jaws 6 and 1 are provided with ribs l2 and l3 respectively which project from the vertical faces of these jaws which normally stand opposite to the front face of the mold. The forwardly projected or offset surfaces of these ribs are parallel to the front face of the mold, and the upper and lower edges of these ribs are beveled at M and i5 and i6 and H respectively, the upper and lower bevels of each rib lying in planes preferably at equal angles to the plane of the vertical faces of the jaws but sloping in opposite directions so that these bevels are symmetrical, and these bevels are sufficient to render the vertical height of the projected or offset surfaces of the ribs equal to the space between the upper and lower mold sections 3 and 4 which define the upper" and lower walls of the casting cavity 5 in the mold with which these ribs are to cooperate.

The front face of the mold, according to the present invention, is provided with a groove or recess which extends entirely across such face of the mold, and this recess is formed with beveled upper and lower walls or edges El and 22 which are complemental or equal in angle to the upper and lower beveled edges of the ribs on the vise jaws, these bevels 2i and 22 diverging from the respective upper and lower walls defining the mold cavity to the front or matrix engaging face of the mold. The recess, the upper and lower walls of which are formed by the beveled surfaces 2! and 22 extend entirely across the front face of the mold, intersecting the mold slot or cavity, the usual end liners 23 and 24 which space apart the upper and lower mold members 3 and d and close the ends of the mold cavity 5 being reduced in depth to conform with this groove, as shown in Figure 6, the front edges of the mold liners being located in a vertical plane to contact with the vertical faces of the ribs l2 and i3 on the vise jaws when the beveled upper and lower edges of these ribs are in engagement with the correspondingly beveled upper and lower edges 25 and 22 of the recess. The ribs projecting from the vise jaws will therefore close the groove in the front face of the mold beyond the respective ends of the mold cavity, and in quadding out either end of the line or in centering a matrix line in front of the mold cavity, the rib or ribs on the vise jaw or jaws lying in front of the mold cavity will cast a low-quad area on one or the other or on each end of the slug.

In the operation of a line casting machine embodying the present invention, the line of matrices M, usually containing spacebands S, is low ered into position between the vise jaws E3 and 1 while the mold is in its normal retracted relation therewith as shown in Figure 2, and one or both vise jaws are then closed upon the line and the Vise jaws clamp the line endwise, in well known manner. If the matrix line is of less length than the mold cavity, one or both of the vise jaws will move inwardly in closing upon the line to a position where the rib or ribs projecting therefrom overlie the front of the mold cavity, according to whether the line is to be quadded at either end or centered. The mold then advances, bringing its front face into metal tight contact with the rear or casting edges of the matrices, and such advance of the mold causes the projecting ribs l2 and I3 on the vise jaws to enter the recess extending across the front face of the mold until the oppositely beveled upper and lower edges of these ribs engage and make metal tight contact with the upper and lower correspondingly beveled edges 2! and 22 of the recess in the mold. When the ribs on the vise jaws are so engaged with the mold, the vertical faces of these ribs, which are of a height equal to that of the casting cavity 5 in the mold, will contact with the front edges of the mold liners 23 and 2 1, thereby making metal tight joints therewith which will seal the recess against the escape of molten metal from the ends of the mold cavity and the portion or portions of the ribs which overlie the front of the mold cavity will form casting faces which are of low quad height or of a height less than that at which the characters will be cast on the slug by the intaglio characters in the matrices. Immediately following the advance of the mold into casting relation with the matrix line, the metal pot mouthpiece H is advanced into engagement with the rear face of the mold and the metal pot operates to inject molten metal into the mold cavity in the usual and well known manner, thereby casting the slug therein. After the casting operation, the metal pot recedes from the mold and the mold recedes from the matrix line, in the manner usual in machines of this class, and the vise jaws unlock the matrix line so that it may be removed for distribution, following which another matrix line may be introduced between the vise jaws.

The beveled or tapered form of the upper and lower edges of the projecting ribs on the jaws and the correspondingly beveled upper and lower walls of the recess extending across the front face of the mold enable the projecting ribs on the jaws to readily enter the recess in the front face of the mold when the mold is advanced, irrespective of any slight variations that might exist between the height of the ribs on the jaws and the recess in the mold, and these beveled surfaces, when they come into engagement, produce effective metal tight joints which close the portion or portions of the mold cavity at the front not closed by the matrices and also close and seal the groove beyond the ends of the mold cavity against the escape of molten metal therefrom. The complemental bevelled longitudinal edges of the ribs on the vise jaws and the recess in the mold also render said ribs self-alining with respect to the mold.

Since engagement between the beveled surfaces of the ribs on the vise jaws and in the mold assures metal-tight closure of the front of the mold beyond the ends of the matrix line and beyond the ends of the casing cavity, it is unnecessary that engagement take place as heretofore in these machines between the front face of the mold against which the edges of the matrices engage and the face of the vise jaws opposite to this face of the mold, and according to the invention it is proposed that the latter facewise engagement according to usual practice shall not take place but rather that the face of the vise jaws opposite the mold shall stand clear of the front or matrix engaging face of the mold as shown in Figure 5, thus avoiding such unnecessary and difficult machining as would be necessary if this engagement were allowed to take place as well as the engagement according to the invention, that is, between the faces of the projecting ribs and the front of the mold at a level below that of the matrix engaging face thereof and between the beveled edges on the ribs and along the front of the mold.

The arrangement according to the present invention produces slugs with low-quad surfaces as shown in Figure 6 beyond the end or ends of matrix lines presented at different points along the mold slot, the bevel along the upper and lower walls at the front of the mold cavity for the extent thereof lying opposite the matrix line forming on the slugs a slight tapered fin which upon ejection of the slug through the usual side trimming knives will be shaved off in well known manner.

I claim as my invention:

1. In or for a slug casting machine, a mold comprising mold sections having opposed surfaces forming the walls of a longitudinal casting cavity of less length than the mold, said opposed surfaces, for a portion of their depth from the front face of the mold, having fiat oppositely bevelled surfaces which intersect the longitudinal walls of the mold and presenting a widened opening across the front of the mold over the length of the casting cavity and to the opposite ends of the mold.

2. In or for a slug casting machine, a mold comprising mold sections having opposed surfaces forming the walls of a longitudinal casting cavity of less than the mold, said opposed surfaces, for equal portions of their depth from the front face of the mold, being bevelled in opposite directions from the planes of the respective longitudinal walls thereof continuously to the front face of the mold to widen said cavity to an equal extent along the upper and lower sides thereof across the entire front of the mold.

3. In or for a slug casting machine, a mold comprising mold sections having opposed surfaces forming a longitudinal casting cavity of less length than the mold, said opposed surfaces, for the full length of the mold and a portion of the depth thereof, being symmetrically bevelled and flared outwardly in opposite directions from the longitudinal walls of the cavity toward the front face of the mold, and a pair of matrix line clamping vise jaws opposite the front of the mold, each of said jaws having a continuous rib projecting toward the mold, said rib having tapered edges corresponding to the bevelled portions of said opposed surfaces of the mold and cooperative with said surfaces to the full extent of their depth to close the casting cavity beyond a matrix line between the jaws.

4. In or for a slug casting machine, a mold comprising end walls and parallel opposed upper and lower walls forming a casting cavity, said upper and lower walls being bevelled for a portion of their depth from the front face of the mold to present a widened recess symmetrical with said walls and the mold face and extending across the mold face beyond the end walls, and a pair of movable matrix line clamping jaws each having a continuous rib projecting therefrom toward the mold and having a surface parallel to the face of the mold and of a height equal to that of the casting cavity between the unbevelled upper and lower walls thereof, the ribs on the jaws being cooperable with the bevelled sides of the recess across the mold and with the end walls and beyond the ends of the casting cavity to close it beyond a matrix line between the jaws.

5. In a slug casting machine, a longitudinally slotted mold having a recess in its casting face extending longitudinally of and intersecting the mold slot, and a pair of movable vise jaws for clamping lines of matrices in front of the mold at different points along the slot therein, continuous ribs projecting from the jaws toward the face of the mold and engageable in the recess therein, said recess and ribs having complemental bevelled longitudinal edges cooperative to aline the vise jaws with the mold.

6. In or for a slug casting machine, a longitudinally slotted mold having a recess in its casting face extending longitudinally of and intersecting the mold slot, said recess having upper and lower edges bevelled to flare outwardly toward the casting face of the mold, and a pair of movable matrix line clamping vise jaws having continuous ribs projecting therefrom toward the mold and having upper and lower edges bevelled to correspond with the upper and lower edges of the recess in the mold and engageable with said edges of the recess to form metal tight joints therewith.

'7. In a slug casting machine, a longitudinally slotted mold having a recess extending across its casting face at the level of the mold slot, said recess having bevelled upper and lower edges which are inclined outwardly in opposite directions from the longitudinal surfaces of the mold slot toward the casting face of the mold, and a pair of opposed movable vise jaws for clamping lines of matrices in front of the mold at different points along the slot therein, said jaws having continuous ribs adapted to project into the recess in the mold and having bevelled upper and lower edges complemental to the bevelled upper and lower edges of said recess and cooperative with said edges of the recess to reduce the height of the portion of the mold slot beyond the matrices between the vise jaws and to close the front of such portion of the mold slot.

8. In or for a slug casting machine, the combination of a longitudinally slotted mold provided with a front matrix engaging face having a recess therein extending longitudinally across the mold at the level of the mold slot, the opposite longitudinal edges of the recess being defined by flat beveled surfaces flaring outwardly from the walls of the mold slot to the matrix engaging face of the mold, and a pair of matrix clamping vise jaws at least one of whichismovable longitudinally of the moldslot and having a longitudinal rib thereon projecting toward the mold, said rib having oppositely bevelled longitudinal edges engageable with the bevelled edges of said recess to form metal tight closures with the front walls of the mold slot.

9. In or for a slug casting machine, the combination of a longitudinally slotted mold having matrix engaging surfaces at the front thereof above and below the slot and having continuous oppositely bevelled longitudinal surfaces extending across the mold and beyond the ends of the slot, said surfaces intersecting the opposed longitudinal walls of the mold slot and flaring out wardly directly from said walls to the respective matrix engaging surfaces, and a pair of vise jaws each having a longitudinal rib projecting therefrom toward the mold and provided with oppositely bevelled longitudinal edges complemental to and engageable with the bevelled surfaces across the mold, said rib having a face of a vertical height equal to that of the mold slot and adapted to project between the matrix engaging surfaces and thereby enter the mold to the line of intersection of the bevelled surfaces with the opposed walls of the mold slot.

10. A longitudinally slotted slug casting mold having matrix engaging faces above and below the slot and located at a given height and having a recess between said faces and intersecting the mold slot, portions of the recess beyond the ends of the mold slot presenting surfaces parallel to but below the height of the matrix engaging faces, the upper and lower walls of the mold slot, for a portion of their depth from the matrix engaging faces of the mold, being oppositely bevelled to present a widened opening across the front of the mold slot, the upper and lower walls of said recess beyond the ends of the mold slot being oppositely bevelled and longitudinal continuations of said bevelled walls of the mold slot, and a pair of matrix line clamping vise jaws each having a longitudinal rib thereon projecting toward the mold and having a face engageable with said surfaces of the recess parallel to the matrix engaging faces and having oppositely bevelled upper and lower longitudinal edges complemental to and engageable with the bevelled walls of the mold slot and recess.

11. In a slug casting machine, the combination of a longitudinally slotted mold having a matrix engaging face and having the opposed walls of its slot, for a portion of their depth from the matrix engaging face of the mold, bevelled in opposite directions, and a pair of relatively movable vise jaws for clamping a matrix line endwise and presenting the matrices edgewise tothe matrix engaging face of the mold, the faces of said jaws facing the mold being offset from the mold engaging edges of the matrices so that said faces of thejaws will be spaced from the mold when the matrices are engaged therewith, and a continuous rib on each jaw projecting toward the mold and having oppositely bevelled longitudinal edges complemental to and engageable with said bevelled walls of the mold slot.

12. In or for a slug casting machine, a mold comprising parallel opposed upper and lower walls of a given depth from the front to the rear faces of the mold and spacing members of less depth between said walls providing the end walls of a slug casting cavity, said upper and lower walls having unbroken surfaces diverging therefrom outwardly toward the front face of the mold for the portion of its depth in excess of the depth of the spacing n hers to present a widened recess across the m with bottom walls only along the extent of the mold occupied by the spacing members, and a pair of movable matrix line clamping jaws each having a continuous rib projecting therefrom toward the mold and having a surface parallel to the face of the mold and of the same height as the thickness of the spacing members, the ribs 011 the jaws being engageable with the outwardly diverging surfaces of the upper and lower walls and with the bottom walls of the recess formed by the spacing member to reduce the depth of the mold over any portion thereof opposite the jaws and beyond .a matrix line between said jaws.

13. A slug casting machine including, in combination, a slotted mold having faces flaring outwardly from and intersecting the side walls of the mold slot adjacent the front of the mold, a vise jaw adjustable longitudinally of the mold, and a rib adjustable with the vise jaw and adapted to enter the mold slot, said rib extending along said jaw for its entire length and formed with a pair of anguiarly disposed faces complementary to the flaring faces of the mold and adapte to engage in intimate contact with said flaring faces during a slug casting operation.

i l. A slug casting machine including, in combination, a slotted mold having faces flaring outwardly from and intersecting the side walls of the mold slot adjacent the front of the mold, a vise jaw adjustable longitudinally of the mold. and a rib carried by the vise jaw and adapted to enter the mold slot, said rib extending along said jaw for its entire length and formed with a pair of angularly disposed faces complementary to the flaring faces of the mold and adapted to engage in intimate contact with said flaring faces during a slug casting operation.

15. In a slug casting machine, a longitudinally slotted mold having a matrix engaging face at a height to cast character bearing slugs of a given height, and a recess of uniform depth extending across the entire face of the mold with upper and lower edges oppositely beveled to flare outwardly on continuous inclines from parallel planes corresponding to such planes respectively of the upper and lower walls of the mold slot to the matrix engaging face of the mold, a pair of vise jaws for presenting different length matrix lines to the mold, said jaws having longitudinally extending ribs projecting therefrom toward the mold an extent at least equal to the depth of the recess in the mold face and said ribs havingoppositely beveled edges complemental to the beveled edges of the recess and engageable therewith to close the front of the mold slot beyond the matrices in the line and to cast the blank portions of the slugs beyond said matrices to a height less than the height of the mold to its matrix engaging face.

16. A slug casting machine including, in combination, a mold having a casting slot with parallel opposed side walls and having a recess of given depth extending across the entire front face of the mold, said recess having surfaces flaring outwardly in opposite directions from the respective parallel side walls of the mold slot and coextensive to the ends of the mold, and a member for closing the mold slot at the front for at least a portion of its length, said member having an element at least equal in thickness to the depth of the recess in the mold face and formed with angularly disposed edges complementary to the flaring surfaces of the recess whereby said element is adapted intimately to engage said flaring surfaces and to close said recess during a s ug casting operation.

17. A slug casting machine including, in combination, a mold with a longitudinal casting slot having parallel opposed side and end walls, and having recess in its front face of uniform depth, said recess being defined by upper and lower surfaces flaring outwardly in opposite directions from the planes of the respective side walls of the mold slot and by surfaces beyond the end walls of the slot which are parallel to but below the level of the front face of the mold, a vise jaw adjustable longitudinally of the mold, and a rib adjustable with the vise jaw and adapted to enter the recess in the face of the mold, said rib being formed with angularly disposed edges complementary to the flaring surfaces of the recess and being adapted to engage in intimate contact with said flaring surfaces and with the surfaces of the recess beyond the end walls of the mold slot during a slug casting operation.

18. A slug casting machine including, in combination, a mold having a longitudinal casting slot defined by parallel opposed side walls determining by at least a portion of their depth the point size of a slug cast in the mold slot and by spacing members providing end walls for the slot but of less depth from the rear face of the mold than the corresponding depth of the side walls, said side walls having surfaces flaring in opposite'directions outwardly therefrom to the front face of the mold and coextensive along the front face of the spacing members to thereby form a widened recess of uniform depth and width across the entire front face of the mold, a vise jaw adjustable longitudinally of the mold, and a rib carried by the vise jaw, said rib being formed with angularly disposed edges complementary to the flaring surfaces of the mold .and being adapted to engage in intimate contact si" multaneously with said flaring surfaces and with the front face of the spacing members during a slug casting operation.

19. In a slug casting machine, the combination of a longitudinally slotted mold having a matrix engaging face at the front thereof at a height to cast character bearing slugs of a given height, the mold having a recess extending across the entire front thereof longitudinally of and intersecting the slot therein and extending beyond the ends of said slot, said recess having longitudinally extending surfaces which diverge forwardly to the matrix engaging face of the mold throughout the length of the recess, and the end walls of the slot in the mold being located at a height less than that of the matrix engaging face, and a pair of vise jaws for presenting different length matrix lines to the front of the mold, said jaws carrying ribs extending longitudinally thereof and projecting therefrom toward the mold to enter the recess in the front thereof, said ribs having oppositely bevelled edges complemental to and engageable with the forwardly diverging surfaces of said recess to form a metal tight seal therewith and thereby close the front of the mold slot beyond the matrices in the line and having faces engageable with the end walls of the mold slot to close said recess beyond the ends of the mold slot.

20. In a slug casting machine, the combination of a longitudinally slotted mold having a front matrix engaging face at a height to cast character bearing slugs of a given height and provided with a recess extending across the entire front of the mold and intersecting and extending beyond the ends of the slot therein, said recess having longitudinally extending surfaces which diverge forwardly to the matrix engaging face of the mold from those portions of the walls of the mold slot which determine the pointsize thickness of the slug cast in said slot, and the end Walls of said slot being of a height less than that of the matrix engaging face of the mold, and a pair of vise jaws for presenting different length matrix lines to the matrix engaging face of the mold, said jaws carrying ribs extending longitudinally thereof and projecting therefrom toward the mold to enter the recess in the front thereof, said ribs having oppositely bevelled edges compfemental to and engageable with the forwardly diverging surfaces of said recess to form a metal tight seal therewith and thereby close the front of the mold slot beyond the matrices in the line and having faces engageable with the end walls of the mold slot to close said recess beyond the ends of the mold slot.

HERMAN R. FREUND. 

